Orientation Week is a time many soon-to-be university students look forward to as a way to kick off their collegiate careers, meet new friends and learn the ins and outs of the campus.

But earlier this week, 28,000 students who applied to get into the University of B.C. were accidentally sent Orientation Week invites, despite only 7,000 applicants being accepted into first-year programs at the school each year.

In an emailed statement to Black Press Media, UBC associate registrar and director Andrew Arida said the emailed invite was to register for JumpStart, an orientation event for new students on campus.

And while the invite was not a notification of admission, he said, the university is apologizing for any misunderstanding.

“We apologize for the confusion it caused for prospective students,” he said. “We know that waiting to find out if you have been accepted into university can be a very stressful time, and we are sorry for any uncertainty that this email created.”

Arida said the school is notifying all individuals who received the email in error, and advises all applicants to log into their Student Service Centre account for their admission status.